Traveling With My Diabetic Dog

For many of us, getting this diagnosis turned us into hermits. We rescheduled most everything, never leave or left our pups alone and never even considered traveling.  Surely there is a way to still enjoy life with a Diabetic dog.  Yes, in fact, there is.  You can still live your life; you just need to make a few adjustments.  Thank you Steve for this topic!!

Instead of getting on a plane and leaving your pup with a friend, relative or boarding facility, how about taking a road trip and including your pup in the fun?  If you don’t have a comfortable car, maybe rent a more suitable vehicle or pull out all of the stops and rent an RV or maybe even a houseboat!  I will confess, renting an RV and seeing our country is something that intrigues me.  I have heard that there are RV resorts everywhere these days, complete with spa facilities, beaches, water sports and even picket fences for your pup/pups to have a little yard to enjoy the outdoors!

Now that you’ve decided to take a road trip, how do you prepare you and your pup for the adventure?  Do some research on the places that you will be going or stopping along the way.  Know what hotels/motels allow pets and maybe find some in the places that you’ll be passing through on your way to your destination.  Google to see if there is anything that you will be dealing with that isn’t an issue for you at home like heavy tick infestations or lots of mosquitos in the area.  I used Wondercide (and still do) to keep all those pesky little critters away from my boys and around the patio to keep them away from me.  Wondercide is all natural and non-toxic; they even make a  pet spray now (click on highlighted text)!

I know that it feels like you will be packing more for your pup than you will be for yourself, but if you’re organized about it, it shouldn’t really be a huge deal.  As you go through your daily routine at home, start a list in your journal of everything that you use.  If you touch it during your day, add it to the list.  Things like your scale to weigh your food, of course your meter, strips, lancets, syringes, ketone strips, Glucose SOS (everything that is in your Stor-More if you have one).  Maybe pre-measure your meals into Ziploc bags so you don’t have to drag that big bag of food with you (I’d take some extra meals, just in case.) Throw in some options that you may need to treat a hypoglycemic event (your Glucose SOS, biscuits, fat free Fig Newtons, peanut butter crackers, etc.)  Don't forget the special discount on the SOS, use code: SOSBLOG

Now we think of those things that we maybe don’t use at home every day, but need to have just in case.  Toppers for your food, jars of baby food or toppers that are pre-packaged like tuna or sardines packed in water or the Wellness Core Simply Shreds that they sell now.  Try to keep it to things that don’t need refrigeration or cooler space.  Water…. Lots of water from home as new water can cause tummy upset and we certainly don’t want that!

Call your vet and explain that you are taking a road trip with your pup and would like some of the basics to have on hand.  Things like Cerenia (for nausea), Metronidazole (for diarrhea), maybe a couple tablets of something for pain.  Just the basics so that if your pup has some tummy upset or diarrhea, you have what you need and won’t have to find a vet on the road and incur added expense. I can’t imagine that it would be a problem.  You probably won’t need any of those things, but always better to be prepared than not.

If it were me and it’s not, I would start with a weekend get-a-way and see how your pup does to determine if this is a good option for you.  You’ll learn things like how often you need to stop for potty breaks while driving to your destination, does your pup get car sick, does the excitement of the adventure affect BG (Blood Glucose), if so, in what direction, how your pup does in a hotel room (unless you go the RV route).  You know, the things that you want to know before you commit to a week-long trip.  Determine how many hours you will drive each day, and give everyone a chance to unwind and relax at the end of a travel day.  Choose places to stop that are dog friendly.  By that I mean outdoor seating at restaurants or cafes so that your pup can go with you.  Many people have collapsible strollers for their smaller dogs so that the pup has a comfortable place to nap and observe the goings on in their surroundings.

I think that you are getting the idea that you don’t have to just stay home and be a slave to this disease; you can adjust and still have some adventures along the way.  I really hope that you will think of creative things to do with your family and your pup so that you can all have an adventure together!  I will make one request of you…  If you DO decide to travel with your pup, or have already done so and would like to inspire others, I’d ask that you’d share your experience with us in the comments below complete with a picture if you have one!!!  We’d all love to see!!!  I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

You’ll notice that for most of the products, previous blog entries or groups that I mention, the text is linked to a website that you can purchase that item or a link to join the group mentioned.  Just click on the colored text (red or blue, depending what device you are on) and it should take you right to the item or group.  If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics that you’d like to see covered here, please feel free to comment below or send me an email at NancyForPetTest@PharmaSupply.com.  As always, please “like” this blog post or any of the others that have helped you or just refreshed your memory.Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

Until next time…